CHAPTER 16.1
GENERAL
In accordance with preliminary organizational plans, the Service

Operations Division of Holmes & Narver was established as a separate division under the Resident Manager on about June 1, 1950. Prior to that
date service functions had been performed by the several divisions at

the Jobsite,

By June 1, 1950, however, the scope of service operations

and maintenance functions had increased to the point where separate con-

trol was necessary, practical, and desirable.

The following departments were placed under the direction of the ad-

ministrative head of the Service Operations Division: marine operations,
mechanical and machine shops, communications, power generation and water
distillation, camp facilities, and maintenance. In addition, the Service
Operations Division was made responsible for air travel dispatching for
the U. S. Air Force inter-island plane transportation between the islands
of Eniwetok, Parry, Runit, Biijiri, and Engebi.

The administrative organization of the Service Operations Division

consisted of the following: Service Operations Manager, Assistant to
Service Operations Manager, and superintendents of camp facilities, ma~
rine operations, power and water distillation, mechanical and machine
shops, maintenance, and communications, together with necessary office
personnel consisting of an office manager and clerical and stenographic
assistants, The office of the Service Operations Manager correlated and
coordinated the efforts of all departments.
The Service Operations Division was confronted with certain
specific difficuities in connection with this Project as follows:
1.

The extensive time lag between ordering of supplies and equip~
ment and their receipt.

2.

The lack of-trained specialists such as power and distillation

3.

Radical and unanticipated changes in the total population of. the
Atoll as the scope of the work was changed.

4.

Constant movement of personnel between islands, frequently without prior notification, This was particularly true of scientific groups during the operational phase. —

5.

The absence of any source of immediate commercial supply for
such essential commodities and services as food, fresh water,
inter-island transportation, electrical power, laundry, or hous-

personnel, cooks, bakers, and laundrymen.

ing.

Each function of the Service Operations Division had to

be completely self-sufficient and self-supporting.

16-1

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